DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Soejima et al. (US 2021/0247187; “Soejima”).
Regarding claim 1, Soejima teaches a vibrator device (1; See figures 1, 2A, 7) comprising:
a vibrator element (21, 23A-23D, 25A-25B) having a base part (21), and a plurality of vibrating arms (23A-23D, 25A-25B) extending in a first direction from the base part (21);
a base body (43C); and
a support substrate (29a, 29b, 31a-31c, 43B) configured to support the vibrator element (21, 23A-23D, 25A-25B) with respect to the base body (43C), wherein
the support substrate (29a, 29b, 31a-31c, 43B) includes
a base-body fixation part (31, 43B) to be fixed to the base body,
an element support part (29b) configured to support the base part (21) of the vibrator element (21, 23A-23D, 25A-25B), and
a beam part (29a) configured to couple the base-body fixation part (31, 43B) and the element support part (29b) to each other, and
the support substrate (29a, 29b, 31a-31c, 43B) has a plurality of recessed parts (See recesses in piezo body 313 between 31b and 29a in figure 7. See also the recess in 43B above retracting surface 35d in figure 2A) corresponding to the plurality of vibrating arms (23A-23D, 25A-25B) in an area which is located at a side of a surface opposed to the vibrator element (21, 23A-23D, 25A-25B), and on which at least a part of the vibrating arms (21, 23A-23D, 25A-25B) overlaps in a plan view.
Regarding claim 2, Soejima teaches wherein the recessed part (See recesses in piezo body 313 between 31b and 29a in figure 7. See also the recess in 43B above retracting surface 35d in figure 2A) is arranged in an area overlapping at least a tip portion (23b) in the first direction of the vibrating arm (23A-23D, 25A-25B).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The best prior art reference of record, Soejima, fails to teach:
“wherein a first side surface and a second side surface of the recessed part opposed to each other along a second direction crossing the first direction have a tilted surface which decreases in distance toward a bottom surface of the recessed part.”, as set forth in claim 3;
“wherein the plurality of vibrating arms includes a first vibrating arm and a second vibrating arm which is arranged side by side with the first vibrating arm along a second direction crossing the first direction, and which is arranged farther from the element support part than the first vibrating arm, the plurality of recessed parts has a first recessed part arranged so as to be opposed to the first vibrating arm, and a second recessed part arranged so as to be opposed to the second vibrating arm, and Wa2−Wb2>Wa1−Wb1 is fulfilled where a width of the first vibrating arm is defined as Wb1, a width of the second vibrating arm is defined as Wb2, a width of the first recessed part is defined as Wa1, and a width of the second recessed part is defined as Wa2.”, as set forth in claim 4;
“wherein the plurality of vibrating arms includes a first vibrating arm and a second vibrating arm which is arranged side by side with the first vibrating arm along a second direction crossing the first direction, and which is arranged farther from the element support part than the first vibrating arm, the plurality of recessed parts has a first recessed part arranged so as to be opposed to the first vibrating arm, and a second recessed part arranged so as to be opposed to the second vibrating arm, the first recessed part has a third side surface located closer to the base part in the first direction than a tip portion of the first vibrating arm, the second recessed part has a fourth side surface located closer to the base part in the first direction than a tip portion of the second vibrating arm, and Lc2>Lc1 is fulfilled where in the first direction, a distance between the tip portion of the first vibrating arm and the third side surface is defined as Lc1, and a distance between the tip portion of the second vibrating arm and the fourth side surface is defined as Lc2.”, as set forth in claim 5; and
“wherein defining a direction perpendicular to the first direction and a second direction as a third direction, the vibrator element and the support substrate are arranged so as to overlap each other in the third direction, and the vibrator element includes a pair of detection arms as the vibrating arms extending toward both sides in the first direction from the base part to be fixed to the element support part via a bonding member, a pair of coupling arms extending toward both sides in the second direction from the base part, a pair of drive arms as the vibrating arms extending toward both sides in the first direction from a tip portion of one of the coupling arms, and a pair of drive arms as the vibrating arms extending toward the both sides in the first direction from a tip portion of another of the coupling arms.”, as set forth in claim 7.
Conclusion
The prior art references made of record and not relied upon teach vibrator devices, comprising: multiple vibrating arms, bases, support substrates, and enclosures.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEVI GANNON whose telephone number is (571)272-7971. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00AM-4:30PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Menatoallah Youssef can be reached at 571-270-3684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/LEVI GANNON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2849 January 15, 2026